Ariane 5, the legend

In 1987, the 12 member states of the European Space Agency (ESA) agreed to develop a successor to Ariane 4, to place heavier and more powerful satellites into orbit. Ariane 5 could target any orbit, be it low-Earth, medium-Earth, geostationary or release orbit.

It soon became the world leader in the market for launching telecommunications satellites into geostationary transfer orbit: Ariane 5 could place 10 tonnes into obit for a double launch and 10.8 tonnes for a single launch. It had a carrying capacity of up to 21 tonnes in low-Earth orbit, as was the case for the ATV cargo spacecraft used to transport supplies to the International Space Station.

After its first launch on 4 June 1996, Ariane 5 became available in five versions, enabling it to carry out all types of missions, from telecommunications and Earth observation satellites to probes for exploring the universe:

- Ariane 5 G (Generic): could place up to 6 tonnes of payload into geostationary transfer orbit.

- Ariane 5 G+: an improved version of the Ariane 5 G launch vehicle, with a capacity of 7.1 tonnes.

- Ariane 5 GS: Generic Ariane 5 equipped with a restartable storable-propellant upper stage (EPS).

- Ariane 5 ES: an optimised version for the launch of the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV).

- Ariane 5 ECA: could place 10.5 tonnes into geostationary transfer orbit. It was equipped with the Vulcain 2 engine and a new cryogenic upper stage.

Its various versions enabled Ariane 5 to adapt to growing needs in terms of launch capacity and payload changes over the years.
 

Its most emblematic missions include Europe’s Galileo navigation satellites, the BEPI COLOMBO probe to explore Mercury, the James WEBB telescope, which is the most powerful to date for observing the universe, the ATV cargo spacecraft used to carry supplies to the International Space Station and the JUICE mission for studying Jupiter.

Ariane 5 took its last flight in July 2023, marking the end of a 27-year career. Europe’s heavy-lift launch vehicle was exceptionally reliable for its category, achieving a reliability rate of 98.4% by its last flight.

Discover Ariane 5’s launch history! 

As soon as the Ariane 5 project kicked off, it became clear that new Ariane launch facilities would be needed. The design of the new European launcher was very different from that of its predecessors, requiring entirely new methods and equipment from the previous versions of Ariane.

These third Ariane launch facilities (ELA3) took 10 years to develop, build and qualify. The launch zone underwent various changes, to adapt to the different versions of Ariane 5.

Covering an area of 20 km², ELA3 comprised the Launcher Integration Building (BIL), the Final Assembly Building (BAF) and, 2.8 km away, the launch zone. It also included storage areas for liquid hydrogen and oxygen (the launch vehicle’s oxidiser and fuel), technical facilities and the launch centre for supervising operations.

The various components of Ariane 5, which came from Europe, were assembled vertically at the Launcher Integration Building, a 58-metre-high structure. Assembly started with the launch vehicle’s cryogenic main stage, before the two solid propellant rocket motors were added (manufactured at Europe’s spaceport) and then the upper stage. Lastly, the equipment box, the launch vehicle’s electronic ‘brain’, was placed on top.

Once assembled, the lower part of the launcher was transferred to the Final Assembly Building. The payload was integrated inside this 90-metre high, air-conditioned structure: the fairing housing the satellites was attached to the top of the launch vehicle. For a two-satellite launch, a SYLDA (Ariane double launch system) adapter was used to install the satellites on top of each other. The Final Assembly Building was also used to perform the Ariane 5 engine configuration operations.

Once completed, Ariane 5, still on its launcher platform, was pulled on rails by a powerful truck to the launch pad.

Once in the launch zone, Ariane 5 was propped against the Cazes tower. This 40-metre high tower protected the launcher from wind and vibrations, and supplied it with fluids and electricity.  Five hours before lift-off, the cryogenic stage tanks were filled with liquid oxygen and hydrogen.

Four lightning rods around the launcher protected it from lightning. Opposite the Cazes tower were the two flame trenches, which were the exhaust pipes for the launcher during lift-off. A few metres away, the 90-metre-high water tower discharged 30 m3 of water per second to protect the launch platform from the flames and sound vibrations.

The launch centre (CDL3) remotely controlled the operations on the launch vehicle and its launch zone. Located 2.5 km from the launch pad, the launch centre, now reconfigured for Ariane 6, is housed in a shelter reinforced to withstand fragments of debris.